UNEP, through the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, has supported Montenegro’s transition to cleaner fuels since 2005. Following Montenegro’s adoption of cleaner fuel standards in January 2011 (leaded petrol is now banned and phased out from the market, and low sulphur 10 ppm fuels are the national norm) and Euro V vehicle import standards, the country is moving to the next level of measures to ensure a clean, efficient car stock. Montenegro has set aside USD 200,000 of its GEF allocated funds for a national auto fuel economy project.

In continuing partnership with the Regional Environmental Center (REC) and the Ministry of Economy, UNEP (through the Global Fuel Economy Initiative) is supporting the development of a national program to address auto fuel economy through the establishment of a national working group and the calculation of a national auto fuel economy baseline starting with 2008. This effort aims to catalyze a longer-term national effort to build on the availability of clean fuels and encourage a more sustainable auto sector. As an EU candidate country, Montenegro has an added incentive to adopt advancing fuel economy and vehicle emission standards.

In May 2012 the inaugural session on developing a national auto fuel economy estimate was held in Budva, together with the International Energy Agency. The meeting discussed the baseline fuel economy estimate for Montenegro and also began to design, with REC Montenegro, a larger fuel economy project with GEF support, which will also include the involvement of the sub-region as a whole in Montenegro's experience, including Serbia, Albania BiH and Macedonia.

The GFEI Tool User’s Guide has been translated in Montenegrin, along with specific guidance on auto fuel economy (i.e. selected chapters from the Tool itself, available from http://www.unep.org/transport/gfei/autotool/).